


breathe

by groove_bunker



Series: Please Ignore the Pronouns [fanmix fic] [9]
Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Drabble, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-27 23:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/984913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/groove_bunker/pseuds/groove_bunker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You’ve found the courage to come back to where it all began and it’s alright to be scared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	breathe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shadowcrawler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcrawler/gifts).



You know you can’t let her go without seeing her one last time, which is why you’ve flown all the way home for a party, calling work on the way to the airport to tell them you’re sick. You knock on the door and Claudia opens it. You haven’t seen her in a year and a half and she looks so different. You hate yourself for not coming back, for burying yourself in your work and running away from your friends but you had kidded yourself there was nothing here to come back to, especially once Pete moved to Boston.

Claudia doesn’t care though. She throws her arms around you and squeezes you tight. The music is loud and your head hurts and you’re pretty sure you might throw up all over her but you’re _home_ and that’s what matters. You’ve found the courage to come back to where it all began and it’s alright to be scared. You’ve always been scared of this, of her, of what you could be.

You wished you’d told her this, instead of telling her it was a mistake.

“How’s Harvard? Pete tells me the parties are killer.”

“You’ll find out soon, won’t you?” Claudia’s going to MIT this fall and it’s all she ever talks about during your infrequent phone calls. You love how excited she is about college. You’re pretty sure you’re washed out by the whole thing already, but you don’t know if college is the only problem. You walk with Claudia into the living room where Pete is currently trying to distract Helena enough so that you can crawl in without making a scene. It’s not going to work; Helena’s not that stupid.

She storms out and Pete throws his arms in the air. He tried. He really did.

You follow her out onto the patio and, god damn it, Claudia’s been over decorating again because there’s fairy lights everywhere. It’s not the first time that you wonder whether  this is all a big set up, but you push the thought aside for a moment. Helena’s staring up at the sky, frustrated tears falling down her cheeks and you think that this was a huge mistake; it was selfish of you to come back and ruin her going away party.

“So...Cambridge, huh?”

“Yes, Cambridge.” The words unspoken say much more than the ones she says. Cambridge, in England, a million miles away from small town South Dakota, away from everything that happened here, away from you.

“I’m not surprised, but well done. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“You like the lights, huh?”

She looks at you and you know she remembers. It’s been two years and she remembers. But she’s surprised that you remember. You want to tell her that you never stop remembering, never stopped caring. But the words stick in your throat and you close your already open mouth.

“I guess so.”

You want to ask her to dance, you want to tell her that you know her like the back of your hand and that if she stays, you’ll work at this, work at not being scared, at winning her back. But she’s going. She’s moving 5000 miles away and you can’t help but wonder if she would have stayed if you hadn’t run away.

She’s going and all you can do is watch her walk away as your breath catches in your throat and tears form in the corners of your eyes. 


End file.
